Bengal At 60, former BJP president Dilip Ghosh marries fellow party worker Rinku Majumdar

Ex-BJP state president of West Bengal Dilip Ghosh wed fellow party worker Rinku Majumdar in a low-profile wedding ceremony on Friday.

Dressed in traditional Bengali wear, including the obligatory topor headgear, Ghosh stood with his bride in front of the media after the ceremony and made a public plea for blessings.

I thank everyone for good wishes. I also thank Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who wished me. My personal life will have no impact on my political career," Ghosh said to reporters outside his New Town house near Kolkata.

The 60-year-old politician said the marriage was mainly undertaken out of a sense of obligation to fulfill his mother's long-held desire.

Though this is Ghosh's first marriage, it is the second for Majumdar, who has a son from a previous relationship.

Known for his distinct style and memorable remarks, Ghosh has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age, serving in various capacities across India before assuming leadership of the BJP’s West Bengal unit in 2015. His tenure is widely credited with elevating the BJP to the role of the principal opposition party in the state, overtaking the Left.

As per those around the couple, their relationship started in 2021 when they used to take morning walks regularly at Eco Park and then developed gradually. They allegedly chose to elevate their relationship to the next level while watching an IPL match at Eden Gardens last month. The proposal, sources added, was made by the bride.

I am extremely delighted and proud that he agreed to my offer, even though initially he was not interested," stated 51-year-old Majumdar.

During the course of the day, some key BJP leaders, including the present state chief Sukanta Majumdar, made it a point to visit Ghosh's home to congratulate him. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also wished him good luck, sending him two flower bouquets and a handwritten note.

But Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, did not wish to comment. Asked about the wedding by a local TV channel, he merely replied, "I will not comment on it."

The wedding of the couple was in the traditional Vedic way with only intimate relatives present.

Ghosh said he will go to Kharagpur on Saturday—a seat he represented in the Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024—and might go to a political rally in Dumdum, party sources said.

Asked where he would go for his honeymoon, he said, "It will happen somewhere in the country."

Leaders from Trinamool Congress too expressed their felicitations. TMC's spokesperson Kunal Ghosh took to X and tweeted, "As they always went for early morning walks to Eco Park, because their relationship had started there and eventually flowered into a marriage, and because that picturesque Eco Park owes itself to Mamata Banerjee, chief minister, chief minister's intervention in this marriage cannot be disputed after all.

Ghosh is likely to be at the center of the BJP's preparations for next year's state assembly elections.